Method and apparatus for expanding sheet metal



July 7, 1936. o, E, GIBSON 2,046,621

METHO I July 7, 1936.

JMW

IDI

O. E. GIBSON July 7, 1936.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EXPANDING SHEET METAL Filed March 22, 1955 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 1IIIIIIII III I I I l ,IIIIIIIIIl July 7; 1936. o. E. GIBSQN- 2,046,621

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR EXPANDING SHEET METAL Filed March 22, 1935 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 WTWTTTTZZ l WWW Patented Juy 7, 1.936,

PATENT OFFICE Y IWETHOD APPARATUS FOR EXPAND- ING SHEET METAL oliver n. Gibson, chicago, 111., assignor to United States Gypsum Company, Chicago, lll., a corporation of Illinois Applinatinn Manch 22, 1935, serial-N0. 12,400

23 Claims.

This invention relates to a method andapparatus Vfor expanding sheet metal,V and more particularly to a method and apparatuswhereby socalled expanded metal may be produced with the usual rapidity and the finished product be greatly improved. I I Y The present invention is an improvement over existing machineswherein slitted sheet metal is expanded in a manner substantially as Vdisclosed in Patent No. 917,715, issued toL. E. Curtis on April 6, 1909. In this'patent the sheet of slitted meta-l is moved longitudinally over two diverging arms or supports which are arranged to deect the sides of the sheet in opposite directions from the plane of the sheet, one-half of the sheet being deflected upwardly and the' other half downwardly. The diverging supportsfare preferably moving feed chains' between which the unexpanded sheet metal is directed and which are iixed in position relative to the sheets. The production of expanded sheet: metal in this manner is common practice, and further explanation is believed to be unnecessary.` v

In producing expanded sheet, metal by means of machines of the type disclosed in the above-l narned patent, the metal is expandedV inV a continuous V-shaped formation at an angle tothe plane of the moving sheet as the slitted sheet is advanced, and it has been found thatgdue to the unequal stresses set up in the metal throughout the V-shaped formation; the transverse mesh and connecting bonds are notl in straight lines when iinally expanded but, instead, form curved transverse lines across the sheet, the transverse lines of the mesh being curved inwardly in the direction opposite the direction of movement of the metal. This forms what is commonly termed'a iishtail alignment of the meshV and bonds. This results in a loss of material and detracts from the appearance of the product.

It is an object of the present invention tov provide a method and apparatus vfor expanding slitted sheet metal in which the so-called shtail is substantially completely eliminated and in which all of the transverse rows of meshand bonds connecting the strands of the mesh are in substantially parallel straight lines.

Further objects will be apparent from specification and the appended claims.

In the drawingsz', v Figure l is a somewhat diagrammatic side view of the one embodiment of Vthelzuesent invention the ^ Fig. 2 is a viewof the embodiment illustrated in Fig.l 1 with the feed rollers omitted and portions broken away for purposes of illustration;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view through the fixed guide plates and taken on a line substantially corresponding to line 3 3 o-f Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic front end View of the partially expanded sheet as it is advancing through the machine with certain of the guide members 'and chains diagrammatically illustrated;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary top view of one of the slitted sheets after being partially expanded;

Fig. 6 is a diagrammatic transverse sectional view taken on a line substantially corresponding to lines 6 5 of Fig. 5 and illustrates the relation of the guide members at a point where the metal has been slightly expanded;

Fig. '7 is a transverse sectional View taken substantially on line l-l of Fig. 5 and illustrates the relation of the guide members after the metal has been expanded somewhat more than illustrated in Fig. 6;

Fig. 8 is a diagrammatic view similar to Fig. 7 but taken on a line corresponding to line 8-8 of Fig. 5 and illustrates the expansion of the material at the point of release of the metal from the central guide plates; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective View of the slitted sheet after being partially expanded.

` Referring to the drawings in detail, the embodiment illustrated may comprisev any suitable frame for supporting the various parts and which may be provided with side members I and 2, be*- tween which the slitted sheet metal may be guided. Feed rollers 3 are driven from any suitable power source and arranged transversely of the machine, whereby the sheet metal may be fed therebetween in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1.

The sheet metal is moved by the feed rollers 3 between suitable sets of closely associated guide plates which are Vmounted in superposed cooperating pairs on the frame, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. These guide members comprise comparatively narrow elongated central plates 4 and 4a and closely associated guide plates 5 anda on one side,'and plates 6 and 6a on the other side of the central guide members. The ends of all of these guide plates adjacent the feed rollers 3 are substantially in alignment, as illustrated, and the sheet metal is guided between the guide plates in a substantially horizontal plane during the first part of its movement therebetween. The opposite ends of the guide plates 5 and 5a and 6 and 6a diverge, as illustrated in Fig. 1, whereby the metal comprising meansgfor causing the sheet to travel substantially longitudinally with respect. to the slits, means for, guiding and releasing an intermediate'porticn of thesheet along lines extendingdiagpnally with respectto the slits, and means for guiding and releasing the two side portions of thesheet along lines extending diagonally with respect to the slits.

2. An apparatus for expanding slitted sheet metal comprising means for guiding and releasing an intermediate portion of the sheet, and meansforguiding and releasing the two side portions of the sheet, the guiding and releasing means foro ne Vside portion of the sheet having a releasing edge diverging from the planeof the sheet being fedto the guiding means and also diverging Y laterally from a plane extending longitudinally of said sheet and perpendicularly thereto, the guiding and releasing means for the other side of the, sheet having a releasing. edge diverging from the plane of vthe sheet oppositelyto the divergence of said ,rst releasing edge and also diverging laterally from said perpendicular plane. l v

3. An apparatus .for expanding slitted sheet metal comprising means forguiding and releasing anmintermediate portion of i the sheet, and means for guiding and releasing theV two side portions of the sheet, the guiding and releasing means 35.-;Side ,of the `sheet having sheet releasing means orone sidevportion of the sheet having-sheet releasing means diverging from the plane of vthe sheet being fed totheguiding means and also diverging laterally from a planeextending longitudinally of said sheet and perpendicularly thereto, the guiding and releasing means for the other diverging `from'the plane ofthe sheet oppositely to the divergence of said iirst sheet releasing means and also diverging laterally from said perpendicular plane. 1

4. An apparatus for expanding slitted sheet metal comprising means for guidingand releasing an intermediate portion of the sheet, and means for guiding and releasing the two side portions of the sheet, the guiding and releasing means for one side portion of the Vsheet having a releasing edge diverging from the plane of the sheet beingfed to the guiding means and alsodiverginglaterally from a plane extending longitudinally of said sheet and `perpendicularly thereto, the guiding and releasing means for the other side of the sheetV having a releasing edge diverging from the plane of the sheet oppositely to the divergence of said first releasing edge and also diverging laterally from said perpendicular plane, said medial guiding and releasing means having two releasing edges lying substantially in the plane' of the sheet being fed to the guiding means.

5. An apparatus for `expanding slitted sheet metal comprising means for guiding and releasing an intermediate portion of the sheet, and means for guiding and releasing the two side portions of the sheet, the guiding and releasing means for one side portion of the sheet having sheet releasing means diverging from the plane of the sheet being fed to the guiding means and also diverging laterally from a plane extending longitudinally of said sheet and perpendicularly there- Y to, the guiding and releasing means for the other side of the sheet having sheet releasing means diverging from the plane of the sheet oppositely to the divergence of said rst sheet releasing means and also diverging laterally from said perpendicular plane, said medial guiding and releasing means having two sheet releasing means 1ying substantially inthe plane of the sheet being fed to the guiding means.

6. An apparatus for expanding slitted sheet metal comprising means Vfor guiding and releasing an intermediate lportion of the sheet, and means for guiding and releasing the two side portions of Athe sheet, the guiding and releasing means for one side portion of the sheet having a releasing-.edge diverging from the plane of the sheet being fed to the guiding means and also diverging laterally from a plane extending longitudinally of said sheet and perpendicularly thereto, the guiding and releasing means for the other side of the sheet having a releasing edge diverging from the plane of the sheet oppositely to the divergence of said first releasing edge and also diverging laterally from said perpendicular plane, said medial guiding and releasing means having two releasing edges lying substantially in the plane of the sheet being fed to the guiding means and converging toward each other.

, 7, An apparatus for expanding slitted sheet metal comprising means for guiding and releasing an intermediate portion of the sheet, and means for guiding and releasing the two side portions of the sheet, the guiding and releasing means for one side portion of the sheet having a releasing edge diverging from the plane of the sheet being fed to the guiding means and also diverging laterally from a plane extending longitudinally of said sheet and perpendicularly thereto, the guiding and releasing means for the other side of the sheet having a releasing edge diverging from the plane of the sheet oppositely to the divergence of said rst releasing edge and also diverging laterally rom said perpendicular plane, said medial guiding and releasing means having a releasing edge diverging from one of the aforesaid releasing edges.

' 8. An apparatus for expanding slitted sheet metal comprising means for guiding and releasing an l intermediate portion of the sheet, and means for guiding and releasing the two side portions Yof the sheet, the guiding and releasing means for one side portion of the sheet having a releasing edge diverging from the plane of the sheet being fed to the guiding means and also diverging laterally from a plane extending longitudinally of said sheet and perpendicularly thereto, the guiding and releasing means for the other side of the sheet having a releasing edge diverging from the plane of the sheet oppositely to the divergence of said first releasing edge and also diverging laterally from said perpendicular plane, said medial guiding and releasing means having a releasing edge diverging from one of the aforesaid releasing edges and lying substantially in the plane of the sheet being fed to said guiding means.

9. An apparatus for expanding slitted sheet metal comprising means for guiding and releasing an intermediate portion of the sheet, and means for guiding and releasing the two side portions of the sheet, the guiding and releasing means for one side portion of the sheet having a releasing edge diverging from the plane of the sheet being fed to the guiding means and also diverging laterally from a plane extending longitudinally of said sheet and perpendicularly thereto, the guiding and releasing means for the other side of the sheet having a releasing edge diverging from the plane of the sheet oppositely to the divergence of said first releasing edge and also diverging laterally from said perpendicular plane, said medial lguiding and releasing means having a releasing edge diverging from one of the aforesaid releasing edgesand lying substantially in the plane of the sheet being fed to said guiding'means, the guiding and releasing meansvfor the side portions of 'the sheet comprising means traveling with the guided portions of thesheet Y 10. Apparatus for expanding slitted sheet metal comprising means for causing the sheet to travel substantially longitudinally with respect to the slits, and means for simultaneously expanding two laterally spaced V-shaped formations of the slitted sheet 'metal lying in two diiferentjplanes,

Y both of which are atan angle to the general plane of thensheet before it is expanded. 11. Apparatus for expanding slittedV sheet metal comprising means for causing the sheet to travel substantially longitudinally withv respect to the slits, means for expanding successive'V-shaped forms cfone portion ofthe slitted sheet, and means for simultaneously expanding successive V-shaped `forms of another laterally spaced portion of theslitted sheet. f

l2.- Apparatus for expanding slitted sheet metal comprising means for causing the sheet to travel substantially longitudinally with respect to the slits, means: fonexpanding successive V-shaped forms of one portion of the slitted sheet, and means for simultaneously expanding successive V-shaped forms of another-laterally spaced portion Aof the slitte :l-'sheet,V said'lV-'shaped forms lying in twodilferent planes, kbothofv which are at an angle to the-general plane of the' sheet before it is expanded. Y v

13,y A machine for expanding slitted sheets of metal comprisingspaced diverging expander arms for guiding and expanding'said sheets, and guide arms'to guidea portion ofsaid metal in a plane through Vthe point ofv divergence, said guidev arms cooperating to form a V-shaped expanding edge 'with the base of said V substantially on a line through the'point of divergence. l

14. In an expanding machine for a slitted metal sheet, laterally spaced diverging arms for guiding and expandin-g'said metal, and forwardly extending, guide arms arranged to.V retain a cerr-v tral portion of the metal sheet unexpanded beyond the point of divergence, and in the plane of the sheet.y y f y 15. In an expanding machine,l means for angularly expanding metal, and means within the included 'angle to retain a portion ofr said metal unexpancledand to enable its expansion as it moves beyond said last means.

16. In an expanding machine', movable feeding and. guiding means to angularly expand sheet metal, and iixed guide means to retain a portion of said metal unexpandedwithin the included angle and enable its expansion as it Inovestheie-l Y from@ '7; rz. lA method. .of expanding 'slitted sheet metal comprising causing the sheet rto' travel in the general direction-of the slits vin the metal 5 and expanding two Alaterally 'spaced V-shaped formations vof the slitted metal as the sheet travels,

all of the lines of the V-shaped formations ex-V tending 'di'a'gonally' with 'respect' to the slits.

18. A method of Yexpandingslitted'sheet metal l0 comprising causing theA sheet to travel in the` generaldirection of theslits and expanding successive V-shaped formations of one portion of the slitted y sheet vand also simultaneously expanding successive Vf-shaped'A formations of another lat-V lV erally spaced portionv ofV the slitted sheet as the sheet travels, all ofthe lines of the lV-shaped formations extending diagonally with respect to theslits.Y 'Y' Y y19. A method of expanding slittedV sheet metal 20 connarisin'gk expanding f twd laterally spaced V-shaped lformations Vof.` the slitted metal, said two V-shaped formations'lying in two different planes, both of which are at an'angle to -the general plane ofthe sheet beforeexpansion, all 257 of the lines ofthe V-shaped formations extending diagonally` with respect to the slits. Y f

201 A method of expanding slitted sheet metal comprising causing the sheet to travel in the'gen-l eral direction ofthe slits progressively 'expanding 30* adjacent `,ll-'shaped areas in different planes and directing the expandedportions to mergeinthe same plane. 'Y Y' Y-"i 2li. A method of expanding slitted sheet metal comprising V-shaped forms of the slitted metal while maintaining unexpanded aportion of the sheetbetween the expanded portions, all of the lines of theY V-shaped formations'extending diagonally with respect to the slits. Y f

22.!A method of expanding slitted sheet metal comprising expandingl V-shaped forms-'of the slitted metal while maintaining unexpanded a V-,snaped portion ofthe sheet between thev ex-v panded portions, all of fthe linesof the YV shapesY extending diagonally Withrespect tothe slits. 23. Apparatusfor expanding slitted sheetmetal comprising means for causing the sheet to travelr in the general direction of the slitsg'rmeans'fofr ex- Y panding two laterally spaced V-shaped portions 5oLV of the slitted metal, all of theV edges of the V-shaped'portiensextending diagonally with re-ly oLivra aerosols;

expanding vtwo laterally spaced35 

